[4] Merchants of Venus tells the story of Alex (Michael York), a shy Russian immigrant who arrives in Los Angeles to seek the American dream.
The factory's elderly owner Eppy (Nancy Fish) adopts Alex as her son and tries to set him up with her close friend, lonely, fading adult movie star Catherine (Gee).
[5] The film also features American actress Beverly D'Angelo as an adult performer called Mistress Cody, and Scottish actor Brian Cox as Alex's uncle.
Gee's character in the film mirrored herself slightly in that both were fading stars and both were trained to act at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and studied Shakespeare.
[7] Writer and director Len Richmond managed to cast actors Michael York, Beverly D'Angelo, Brian Cox, and Troy Donahue (who played an FBI Agent) via John Schlesinger, who helped him to get in touch with them.